Theophilus t



(Model.)

TV. T. WHITGOMB. WASHY BOILER FOUNTAIN.

10.246,054, Patented'Aug 23,1381.

N. lErERs PhamLithugnpw. wmhingmn, 0.6.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

THEOPHILUS T. WI-IITOOMB, OF ELIZABETH CITY, NORTH CAROLINA.

WASH-BOILER FOUNTAIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 246,054, dated August 23, 1881.

(Model.)

To all 4whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, THEoPHrLUs T. WHIT- GOMB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elizabeth City, in the county of Pasquotank and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vash- Boiler Fountains; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such Vas will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters or figures of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure lis a vertical longitudinal section of the washer on the line x x of Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the line y y of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a plan View, and Fig. 4 a plan view of the bottom of the washer.

My invention relates to wash-boiler fountains; and it consists in the construction and combination of parts hereinafter particularly described, and then sought to be specifically defined by the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A indicates the fountain, which has a closed top,

B, and sides O, and open ends D. It is also provided with a central vertical dischargepipe, E, which is made in sections, in order that it may be lengthened or shortened, as occasion may require, and provided at the top with a double-elbow discharge-pipe, F. The fountain is open at the ends, so that there may be a full and free flow of water from the boiler under and into the fountain, from whence itis forced by the heat up through the central pipe, E, and discharged through the elbow-pipe onto the clothes in the boiler on both sidesof the ceutral pipe. l

In order to prevent the clothes from being drawn bysuction down Linder or into the fountain, (which,if permitted, would choke up the fountain, and thereby interfere with its satisfactory working,) I secure, by solder or otherwise, to the under side of the top B,near both ends, semicircular or curved flanges G, which, lwhile preventing the clothes from being drawn under the fountain, at the same time permit a full and free iiow of' the water thereunder through the channels a', formed between the curved end iianges and the side ianges of the fountain. It will be observed that by placing these flanges near the ends, as described, the volume of water that passes at one time under the fountain is more than would pass if the side anges were continued around and merely perforated. Consequently the space under the fountainis kept filled with water most of the time, and, as it meets with no obstruction from flanges about the central dischargeopening, it is freely and in full quantity forced up through the pipe and discharged above.

For the purpose of bracing the sides of the fountain, strips or bars H are extended from one side to the other, with their flat faces down, so as to offer no material obstruction to the flow of the water; and in order to add weight to the light material of which the fountain is constructed, (it being preferably tin,) so that the fountain may be held steadily in position, bars l, of lead or other material, are soldered or otherwise secured to the sides of the fountain.

For use in ordinary wash-boilers the fountain is made of oblong shape; but for pots it is made of circular form, as indicated by the outside dotted lines in Fig. 3. In both cases the construction is substantially the same, and the fountain is smaller than the inside diameter of the boiler or pot, so that the water may pass between the outside vessel and the f'ountain into the latter.

The fountain can be applied to any of the ordinary boilers or pots without alteration being made. in them, and can be readily removed for cleansing or other purposes.

In operation, the fountain is set within the boiler or pot, which is filled about two-thirds full of water, and the clothes are then placed in the boiler on top ot' the fountain and a small quantity of' soap added. Shortly the water boils and rises through the central dischargepipe and falls upon the clothes, and is drawn by the suction of the fountain down through the clothes, and under the fountain, and up again through the discharge-pipe. This continuous circulation or drawing of the water through the clothes thoroughly vleanses them from all dirt and restores them to their original purity and whiteness.

I am aware that in the class of washers to which mine relates, one has been constructed so as to be closed at the top and sides and one end, the other end being open and the discharge- IOO pipe being located next to that end. Under the top, at the open end, in close proximity to the discharge-pipe, there is a curved shield, and near its ends, projecting from theinside flanges, and about midway between the ends of the fountain, are two deiectors curving and extending in the direction of the shield, with a space between their ends. To the under side of the top, between the curved deiectors and closed ends, there is secured a weight, for the purpose of anchoring the fountain and preventingrit from tilting endwise.

According to the foregoing construction the water enters only at one end of the fountain, and is deflected back toward that end to the discharge-pipeY almost immediately after entering the fountain.

As a necessity o f the construction of the body of the fountain and the arrangement of the deflectors and the anchoring-weight, a limited quantity of water is admitted to the fountain, its free flow therethrough is obstructed, and to some extent its entrance impeded by the check it receives from the defiectors. The

said construction is an improvement, however, on many of the devices theretoforc used, and I seek to further improve upon it by the construction which I illustrate in my drawings, and which I have fully described.

By locating the discharge-pipe in the cenare obtained 5 and by placing the weight on the side anges a little in advance of the open ends they serve the twofold purpose of anchoring the fountain and of shaping the course of 4o the water from both ends direct to the center of the fountain and the discharge-pipe.

Having described my invention, what I claim isrlhe within-described wash-boiler fountain, having closed top and sides and open ends, and braced by bars H, and provided with centrally-located discharge-pipe E F, in combination with curved anges Gr, secured under the top near both ends, and weight-bars I, secured to the sides C in advance of flanges G, whereby water will be admitted at both ends of the fountain and directed to the centrally-located discharge-pipe, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THEOPHILUS T. WHITGOMB. Vitnesses C. C. PooL, THos. GAsKrNs. 

